Aerodynamic wheel covers and mounting assemblies

ABSTRACT

Aerodynamic wheel covers may include a hub assembly coupled with a hub of a large vehicle, such as a truck. A base assembly may be coupled to the hub assembly, and a disk assembly may be coupled with the base assembly such that removal and installation of the disk assembly may be accomplished without tools.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of, and claims a benefit of priorityunder 35 U.S.C. 120 of the filing date of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 16/415,875 filed May 17, 2019, by Joshua Butler and Kyle Walkerentitled “AERODYNAMIC WHEEL COVERS AND MOUNTING ASSEMBLIES”, which is acontinuation of, and claims a benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. 120 ofthe filing date of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/082,996 filedMar. 28, 2016, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,343,450, by Joshua Butler andKyle Walker entitled “AERODYNAMIC WHEEL COVERS AND MOUNTING ASSEMBLIES”,which is a continuation of, and claims a benefit of priority under 35U.S.C. 120 of the filing date of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/545,100 filed Jul. 10, 2012, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,327,550, byJoshua Butler and Kyle Walker entitled “AERODYNAMIC WHEEL COVERS ANDMOUNTING ASSEMBLIES”, which in turn claims a benefit of priority to thefiling date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/507,040by Joshua Butler and Kyle Walker, entitled “Aerodynamic Wheel Covers andMounting Assemblies” filed on Jul. 12, 2011, which are fullyincorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to methods of constructing and affixingaerodynamic wheel covers to the wheels of land vehicles, especiallyheavy trucks, whereby the wheel covers have improved maintenance,operation, functionality, cost-effectiveness, appearance, aerodynamicsand fuel efficiency.

BACKGROUND

Wheel covers are common on cars, in part because the wheel rims providea reliable mechanism for attachment and in part because car ownersgenerally do not need to frequently access the lug nuts or othercomponents covered by a hub cap.

In contrast, wheel covers for large vehicles such as semis are rarelyused. Neither dual-wheels nor single-wide wheels are configured so thata wheel cover can be snapped into engagement as in the case with manypassenger car wheel/wheel disk arrangements. Instead, dual wheels andsingle-wide wheels, especially on tractor-trailer vehicles and otherlarge vehicles, are characterized by the substantial depth from theplane of the outer wheel rim inward to the region of the wheel hub wherethe wheel is attached to a brake drum, axle rotor, additional wheel orthe like. This characteristic makes it difficult to secure a wheel coverto a dual wheel or single-wide wheel. Furthermore, a driver, mechanic oroperator may need to inspect or access a hub odometer, an oil reservoirgauge, lug nuts, tire inflation valve, or some other component.

Some prior art systems and devices include rigid wheel covers. A disk,manufactured from aluminum or some other metal, is secured to a bracketusing screws, bolts, or other hardware. A drawback to this type of wheelcover is the rigid disk is easily damaged by contact with a curb, post,or other traffic device. The time required to install and remove thecover, and the likelihood of a rigid cover rattling, making noise, andcoming loose are also disadvantages. Some prior art methods involveinstalling a frame and then attaching (such as by using a zipper) afabric shield to the frame. In operation, prior art approaches using azipper typically utilize the inner bead or “drop-center” of the wheel.As such, prior art wheel covers may touch the outer flange buteffectively “grabs” inside. A drawback is that this type of wheel coverdoes not fit all types of wheels, such as single-wide wheels, andrequires the wheels to be cleaned when they may be heavily soiled anddifficult to clean.

Some prior art methods of attaching a wheel cover to a truck wheelinclude a hub feature, such as a mounting bracket, that projectsoutwardly from the end of the wheel hub approximately to the plane ofthe wheel rim. However, these attachment methods require tools andsignificant labor for installation or removal, which is necessary toperform most repairs or maintenance on the wheels.

Some prior art methods include a peripheral mounting method in whichclips or other means attach a wheel cover to the outer flange of thewheel rim. However, attachment brackets which rely on hooks or springclips are susceptible to loosening under stress and are difficult toinstall. Furthermore, prior art methods of mounting wheel covers to theperiphery of the wheel have shortcomings due to the difficulty ofrigidly attaching a clip or other mounting feature to the outer wheelrim or flange. Further, the depth from the plane of the outer wheel riminward to the region of the wheel hub where the inner diameter of thewheel is larger than elsewhere is typically several inches on dualwheels and single-wide wheels. As a result, these wheels cannotaccommodate a wheel cover that can normally be snapped into engagementwith the wheel outer flange (as in the case with many passenger carwheel/wheel disk arrangements, where conventional hub caps are used).

Furthermore, many of the prior art attachment systems are undesirablycomplex, either in the number of components required and/or the laborneeded for installation and removal. The manufacturing costs of systemshaving a large number of components can be prohibitive.

Many prior art wheel covers are constructed of a solid surface with noopenings to allow for ventilation that may assist to cool the hub areaand adjacent brake components or to provide an exit means for water anddebris.

SUMMARY

One aspect of embodiments described herein is to provide aerodynamicwheel covers and means for attaching an aerodynamic wheel cover to adual wheel or single-wide wheel assembly on a large vehicle.

Another aspect of embodiments described herein is to provide wheel covermounting arrangements that allow for a range of geometric shapes of thewheel cover disk.

Another aspect of embodiments described herein is to provide wheel covermounting arrangements that include an air hose extension and a valvepositioned on the disk, the disk components (base), or in an openingadjacent the disk to provide means for inspecting or maintaining tirepressure.

Another aspect of embodiments described herein is to provide wheel covermounting arrangements such that a wheel cover can be installed andremoved without tools, or with very readily-available tools, and withminimal time and effort such that an individual removing and installingthe wheel covers is not significantly inconvenienced by the wheel cover.

The mechanism and associated wheel cover mounting method disclosedherein improve the wheel cover installation and removal process sincethe method requires no tools or a reduced number of tools and can beaccomplished faster and simpler, with fewer parts than existing wheelcover mounting methods and mechanisms.

An advantage to embodiments disclosed herein may be that a wheel coveris less susceptible to torsion or awkward loading like center-mounteddisks, and that the wheel cover does not require an “inset” bead such asfound in passenger cars/trucks.

An advantage may be the ability to provide advertising or otherinformation for display to passers-by or an operator or maintenancepersonnel.

In one broad respect, embodiments disclosed herein may include anaerodynamic wheel cover assembly, comprising a bracket assemblyconfigured to couple to a wheel, a base assembly for coupling with thebracket assembly, a piston for positioning in the inner perimeter, aspring having a first end in contact with the base and a second end incontact with the piston, an alignment bushing having a plurality of armsseparated by a plurality of notches, and a disk assembly compatible withthe base assembly. The base assembly may include a base having an innerwall forming a cylindrical perimeter and a plurality of extensionsseparated by a plurality of channels. The piston may include an outboardside formed with a plurality of ribs separated by a plurality of notchesand a plurality of spokes positioned between the extensions. The diskassembly may include an inner ring having a plurality of tabs, aresilient disk, and an outer ring configured to contact the wheel whenthe disk assembly is coupled to the base assembly. The plurality of tabsmay be translatable in a direction substantially parallel to alongitudinal axis of the piston to a first position to deflect thespring relative to the longitudinal axis. The plurality of tabs may alsobe rotatable about the longitudinal axis to a second position, wherebyforce applied by the spring maintains the plurality of tabs between theplurality of ribs. In some embodiments, the inner ring comprises a metalring. In some embodiments, the inner ring is formed with a thicknessgreater than a thickness of the resilient disk. In some embodiments, thepiston comprises an inner shaft, wherein the plurality of spokes connectthe inner shaft to the outer ring of the piston and wherein depressionof the inner shaft depresses the spring in the piston. In someembodiments, one or more of the base, the piston and the resilient diskare injection-molded. In some embodiments during installation or removalthe distance the inner portion of the disk may translate relative to theouter portion of the disk without the materials of the disk assemblyyielding is at least 0.25 inches.

In another broad respect, embodiments disclosed herein may include amethod for manufacturing an aerodynamic wheel cover assembly. A methodmay include forming a base assembly comprising a base having an innerwall and one or more extensions separated by a plurality of channels,forming a piston, forming an alignment bushing, forming a bracketassembly comprising a fixed bracket and an adjustable bracket, forming adisk assembly and assembling the base assembly with a spring having afirst end in contact with the base and a second end in contact with thepiston. The piston may be formed having an outboard side formed with aplurality of ribs separated by a plurality of notches and a plurality ofspokes, each spoke having a width less than an arc length betweenadjacent extensions, the plurality of spokes positioned between theextensions. The alignment bushing may be formed with a plurality of armsseparated by a plurality of notches, wherein each arm has an arc lengthcorresponding approximately to the arc length of each notch in thepiston. The disk assembly may be formed with an inner ring having aplurality of tabs, a resilient disk, and an outer ring configured tocontact the wheel when the disk assembly is coupled to the baseassembly. The inner ring may be fixed to the disk or it may spin freely.Locking means may be provided such as riveting, adhesives, etc. Theinner ring may be insert-molded into the disk via injection moldingtechniques. The disk may receive the inner ring via one-way clips or thelike that secure the ring in place by using molded features in aninjection molded disk. Notches around the perimeter of the disk mayreduce the potential for shear load failure when using double-sidedtape, for example. The disk may be molded to accommodate a removablerubber or plastic center cap to seal the base assembly from debris,etc., and also to provide a cosmetic and more aerodynamic surface. Aplastic center cap may be configured with a chain or other means formaintaining the cap in close proximity to the disk when it is moved awayfrom the center such that the cap, if not properly positioned on thewheel cover, would be attached to the wheel cover and an operator may beless likely to misplace the cap when it is removed. The piston may beprovided with injection-molded inserts in lieu of extensions, forexample, to provide additional clamping strength and reduced cost. Theplurality of tabs may be translatable in a direction substantiallyparallel to a longitudinal axis of the piston to a first position todeflect the spring relative to the longitudinal axis. The plurality oftabs may also be rotatable about the longitudinal axis to a secondposition, whereby force applied by the spring maintains the plurality oftabs between the plurality of ribs. In some embodiments, one or more ofthe base, piston, alignment bushing, and inner ring are machined. Insome embodiments, one or more of the base, piston, and alignment bushingare injection molded. In some embodiments, the inner ring is machinedfrom stainless steel. In some embodiments, forming the piston comprisesforming an inner shaft coupled to the ring with a plurality of spokes.

In another broad respect, embodiments disclosed herein may include asystem for maintaining an aerodynamic cover on a wheel. The system mayinclude a disk assembly, a base assembly, a piston at least partiallyreceived in the base, a spring having a first end in contact with thebase and a second end in contact with the piston, and a bracket assemblyconfigured to couple to a hub of a wheel. The disk assembly may includean inner ring having a plurality of tabs, a resilient disk, and an outerring. The base assembly may include a base having an inner wall havingone or more extensions separated by a plurality of channels. The pistonmay have an outboard side formed with a plurality of ribs separated by aplurality of notches and one or more spokes. Each spoke may have a widthless than an arc length between adjacent extensions. Each spoke may bepositioned between each extension to align and prevent rotation. Otherways to achieve rotational alignment with the piston and the base mayinclude selecting complementary geometric shapes. The plurality of tabsmay be translatable in a direction substantially parallel to alongitudinal axis of the piston to a first position to deflect thespring relative to the longitudinal axis. The plurality of tabs may alsobe rotatable about the longitudinal axis to a second position, wherebyforce applied by the spring maintains the plurality of tabs between theplurality of ribs. In some embodiments, the axial extensions are formedon the base. In some embodiments, the axial extensions are formed on thepiston. In some embodiments, the piston further includes an inner shaftcoupled to the outer ring via the spokes. In some embodiments, the diskassembly comprises a disk formed from a resilient material. In someembodiments, the disk assembly comprises a disk having a selectedconcavity, wherein the disk is formed to be in a first configurationwhen the disk does not contact a wheel and in a second configurationwhen the disk contacts a wheel. In some embodiments, the firstconfiguration is concave. In some embodiments, the first configurationis planar. In some embodiments, the second configuration is convex.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification areincluded to depict certain aspects of the invention. A clearerimpression of the invention, and of the components and operation ofsystems provided with the invention, will become more readily apparentby referring to the exemplary, and therefore nonlimiting, embodimentsillustrated in the drawings, wherein identical reference numeralsdesignate the same components. Note that the features illustrated in thedrawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

FIGS. 1A-1B depict perspective and side views of one embodiment of anaerodynamic wheel cover and a system including an aerodynamic wheelcover mounted on a wheel assembly;

FIGS. 2A-2B depict perspective and side views of one embodiment of anaerodynamic wheel cover and a system including an aerodynamic wheelcover mounted on a wheel assembly;

FIG. 3 depicts an exploded view of one embodiment of a system formounting an aerodynamic wheel cover;

FIGS. 4A and 4B depict top and perspective views of one embodiment of anadjustable bracket for use in mounting an aerodynamic wheel cover;

FIG. 5 depicts an exploded view of one embodiment of a base assembly formounting an aerodynamic wheel cover;

FIGS. 6 and 7 depict views of embodiments of a base assembly;

FIGS. 8-10 depict perspective views of one embodiment of a baseassembly, illustrating one mode of operation;

FIGS. 11A-11F depict views of one embodiment of an aerodynamic wheelcover and a system for mounting an aerodynamic wheel cover, illustratingone method for installing a wheel cover;

FIGS. 12A-12C depict views of one embodiment of a wheel cover assembly;

FIG. 13 depicts a perspective view of a single wheel assembly commonlyfound on a steer axle;

FIG. 14 depicts a view of a hub odometer;

FIG. 15 depicts a view of a type of fluid reservoir commonly found onwheel assembly hubs;

FIGS. 16A-16D depict views of one embodiment of a wheel cover assembly;and

FIGS. 17A-17C depict views of alternative embodiments of a portion of abase assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the invention and the various features and advantageousdetails thereof are explained more fully with reference to thenonlimiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions ofwell-known starting materials, processing techniques, components andequipment are omitted so as not to unnecessarily obscure the inventionin detail. It should be understood, however, that the detaileddescription and the specific examples, while indicating preferredembodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only andnot by way of limitation. Various substitutions, modifications,additions and/or rearrangements within the spirit and/or scope of theunderlying inventive concept will become apparent to those skilled inthe art from this disclosure.

As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,”“including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, areintended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process,product, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is notnecessarily limited to only those elements but may include otherelements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, product,article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary,“or” refers to an inclusive “or” and not to an exclusive “or”. Forexample, a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: Ais true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or notpresent) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (orpresent).

Additionally, any examples or illustrations given herein are not to beregarded in any way as restrictions on, limits to, or expressdefinitions of, any term or terms with which they are utilized. Insteadthese examples or illustrations are to be regarded as being describedwith respect to one particular embodiment and as illustrative only.Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that any term orterms with which these examples or illustrations are utilized encompassother embodiments as well as implementations and adaptations thereofwhich may or may not be given therewith or elsewhere in thespecification and all such embodiments are intended to be includedwithin the scope of that term or terms. Language designating suchnon-limiting examples and illustrations includes, but is not limited to:“for example,” “for instance,” “e.g.,” “in one embodiment,” and thelike. Furthermore, any dimensions, materials or other suchcharacteristics are provided by way of example and not limitation.

Tractor-trailers travel significant distances every year. Consequently,the cumulative effect of even incremental amounts of drag on atractor-trailer can lead to significant increases in overall operatingcosts. Such increased transportation costs are typically absorbed byconsumers of the products transported. One significant source of drag ontractor-trailers, and hence increased transportation costs, are thewheel assemblies of the tractor-trailers. In general, the aerodynamicdrag of a vehicle increases when air flow is affected by a wheelopening, especially deep wheel openings commonly found ontractor-trailer vehicles. Consequently, there is a need for wheel coversthat decrease drag. However, as discussed previously, previous solutionsfor attaching covers to hubs are unsatisfactory for use with tractortrailers. Accordingly, embodiments described herein provide mechanismsand methods for attaching cover assemblies to wheel assemblies (as usedherein, the term “wheel assembly” may refer to a single wheel or a dualwheel assembly, particularly as it relates to a tractor-trailervehicle).

According to one embodiment, a wheel cover assembly may include aremovable wheel cover or disk assembly coupled with a fixed hub mountingassembly that is mounted or otherwise coupled to a wheel assembly. Thewheel assembly may be a single wheel or a dual wheel assembly,particularly as it relates to a tractor-trailer vehicle, or other typeof wheel assembly. FIGS. 1A-1B depict perspective and side views of oneembodiment of aerodynamic wheel cover assembly 100 including diskassembly 300 mounted on a hub mounting assembly 200 which is coupled towheel assembly 6. In some embodiments, disk assembly 300 may be formedas outer retaining ring 310 coupled with spokes 305 to inner ring 320and disk 315. Disk 315 may be single piece or may be formed as diskinserts 315. Outer retaining ring 310, spokes 305 and disk 315 may beconstructed separately or may be formed as a monolithic disk assembly300. Disk 315 may be formed generally planar or non-planar. Non-planardisks 315 may have a substantially conical or concave form. In someembodiments, disk 315 may be oriented with a concavity facing inboardand wheel cover assembly 100 may be configured such that installation ofdisk assembly 300 biases disk 315. Biasing disk 315 may lessen theconcavity, may result in an otherwise planar disk having a negativeconcavity (i.e., disk 315 has a convex shape) or may otherwise changethe configuration of the disk from an initial configuration to a secondconfiguration or flexion. In some embodiments, disk assembly 300provides a substantially continuous surface to facilitate aerodynamicflow around wheels 6. In other embodiments, disk assembly 300 may beconfigured to facilitate aerodynamic flow through the wheel cover,whereby the wheel cover may act as a fan or radial vent, for example.The size, rigidity, concavity/convexity, surface texture, ventingfeatures, or contact area with wheel(s) 6 may be selected to promote adesired air flow around wheel(s) 6. Furthermore, portions of diskassembly 300 may be manufactured with clear material or with openings toallow visual access to components of wheel(s) 6.

FIGS. 2A-2B depict perspective and side views of an alternate embodimentof an aerodynamic wheel cover assembly 100 including hub mountingassembly 200 mounted on wheel assembly 6. Attachment or coupling hubmounting assembly 200 with hub 50 may involve using hardware 52 tocouple bracket 204 to hub 50, while still allowing access to wheel nuts22. As depicted in FIGS. 2A and 2B, disk assembly 300 may be formed asan outer retaining ring 310 coupled with spokes 305 to inner ring 320with disk inserts 315. The inner portion 40 of the rim (e.g., the areaencircled by the rim's outboard flange), including the hub 50 may beexposed for increased circulation, to prevent debris from being trappedinside wheel cover assembly 100, to improve cooling, etc.

FIG. 3 depicts an exploded view of one embodiment of aerodynamic wheelcover assembly 100 including hub mounting assembly 200 and disk assembly300. Hub mounting assembly 200 may include bracket assembly 150 and baseassembly 250. Bracket assembly 150 may be configured or formed to allowaccess to components associated with wheel 6, such as hub 50, the rim, atire inflation valve, a fluid level indicator, lug nuts, or the like.Bracket assembly 150 may be fastenable to hub 50 such that bracketassembly 150 may be removed or installed using tools. Tools used toremove bracket assembly 150 may be standard tools (e.g., sockets) orspecialized, and may include hardware and locking mechanisms to preventaccidental or unauthorized removal of bracket assembly 150. In someembodiments, bracket assembly 150 may be connected to hub 50 utilizingstuds 52 or some other pre-existing hardware associated with hub 50. Insome embodiments, stationary bracket 110 may be coupled to hub 50, suchas using hub nuts 53 threaded onto studs 52. Adjustable bracket 125 maybe coupled fixedly or pivotally to stationary bracket 204 using hardware115 or some other mechanical means. Adjustable bracket 125 may beselectively coupled to stationary bracket 204 such that the position ofthe outboard end of adjustable bracket 125 may be selected. That is, inthe embodiment shown, the outboard position of base assembly mountingplatform 127 may be adjusted. Selective adjustment of adjustable bracket125 may be performed utilizing a series of holes, slots, or other meansof linear positioning.

Also depicted in FIG. 3, hub mounting assembly 200 may include baseassembly 250. Base assembly 250 may be coupled to hub 50 via bracketassembly 150 to mount disk assembly 300. In some embodiments, baseassembly 250 includes base 210, resilient member or spring 212, piston214 and alignment bushing 220. Base assembly 250 may be coupled withadjustable bracket 125 using hardware or other mechanical, thermal orchemical means, or may be formed integral with adjustable bracket 125.

FIGS. 4A-4B depict top and perspective views of one embodiment ofbracket assembly 150 having adjustable bracket 125 for use with anaerodynamic wheel cover and a system for mounting an aerodynamic wheelcover on a wheel assembly. Bracket assembly 150 may be coupled with hub50 using nuts 53 on studs 52. In some embodiments, slots 116 andopenings 117 may allow adjustments of the height H of adjustable bracket125 relative to stationary brackets 110 to accommodate hubs of variousheights, and openings 350 and 127 allow adjustments to width W ofbracket 125 to allow adjustments for various diameters of hubs 50, or toaccommodate other devices, for example automatic inflators, on hub 50

FIG. 5 depicts an exploded view of components of one embodiment of baseassembly 250. In some embodiments, base assembly 250 comprises base 210,piston 214, spring 212, and alignment bushing 220. In some embodiments,inner walls of base 210 have a selected depth and recessed area 211 forretaining spring 212. In some embodiments, inner walls 209 form acylinder. Inner walls 209 defines a space within which piston 214 isable to translate axially. Piston 214 comprises ring 218 about an innershaft 215 aligned relative to longitudinal axis A-A. Ring 218 includesnotches 216 of arc length D separated by ribs 229 of arc length C. Innershaft 215 includes a first end 213 for retaining a second end of spring212 and a second end 222. Inner shaft 215 is joined to ring 218 by a setof radially extending spokes 232 separated by openings of approximatelya width or an arc length E.

Alignment bushing 220 includes an outboard area having a set ofoutwardly extending radial arms 217 having an arc length ofapproximately D, separated by notches 230 of an arc length ofapproximately C. A set of extensions 221 extend inboard and have an arclength of approximately E. An aperture 234 is sized so that second end222 of inner shaft 215 can pass.

In operation, extensions 221 can pass through the gaps between spokes232, with the spokes fitting in channels 231. Alignment bushing 220 canbe coupled to base 210. Alignment bushing 220 may be bolted, welded,glued, epoxied, or otherwise mechanically, thermally, or chemicallycoupled to base 210 to inhibit movement of alignment bushing 220relative to base 210. In some embodiments, alignment bushing 220 andbase 210 comprise apertures 206 that can be aligned such that a pin,screw, rivet or other hardware (not shown) can be inserted to holdalignment bushing 220 relative to base 210.

Biasing member 212 can bias piston 214 toward alignment bushing 220 suchthat ribs 229 fit in notches 230 and radially extending arms 217 fit innotches 216. The second end of inner shaft 215 can be accessible throughaperture 234. By pressing on second end 222 of inner shaft 215, pistonmay be translated in an inboard direction such that there is clearancebetween the inboard surfaces of radially extending arms 217 and theoutboard surfaces of ribs 229. Consequently, a disk assembly 300 mayrotate for installation and removal, as discussed below.

FIGS. 6 and 7 depict perspective views of another embodiment of baseassembly 250. Embodiments disclosed herein may include features forpreventing rotation of piston 214 in base assembly 250. In theembodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7, piston 214 is similar to that depicted inFIG. 5, but base 210 includes extensions 227 that extend outboard,rather than alignment bushing 220 including projections 221 that extendinboard. Although not illustrated, a biasing member, such as depicted inFIG. 5, may bias piston 214 away from base 210. Channels 237 have awidth or arc length P to accommodate spokes 232 of arc length O.Channels 237 in base 210 accommodate spokes 232 to ensure alignment ofextension 227 through apertures 241. Each extension 227 is sized toextend through apertures 241 between spokes 232. For example, extensions227 may have a width M sized to fit through aperture 241 having width N.Base 210 has an inner surface 272 for contact with outer surface 273 ofouter ring 218 of piston 214. Alignment bushing 220, in the example ofFIGS. 6-7 can be a relatively flat sheet piece having radially extendingarms 217 separated by notches 230 and having an aperture 234 toaccommodate the second end of piston 214.

Biasing member 212 can bias piston 214 toward alignment bushing 220 suchthat ribs 220 fit in notches 230 and radially extending arms 217 fit innotches 216. The second end of inner shaft 215 can be accessible throughaperture 234. By pressing on second end of inner shaft 215, piston maybe translated in an inboard direction such that there is clearancebetween the inboard surfaces of radially extending arms 217 and theoutboard surfaces of ribs 229. Consequently, a disk assembly 300 mayrotate for installation and removal, as discussed below.

Embodiments disclosed herein include a system that allows tool-freeinstallation and removal of a resilient disk. To reduce binding and tobetter align the components, the shape of each extensions 221 or 227,the width or arc length of channels 231 or 237, the arc length of spokes232, the width and arc length of apertures 215, the size of inner shaft215 and aperture 235 can be selected such that piston 214 is able totranslate relative to alignment bushing 220. In operation, piston 214 isable to translate relative to alignment bushing 220 to allow second end222 to be recessed with, flush with or extended beyond alignment bushing230 and to allow ribs 229 to be recessed with, flush with or extendaxially beyond radial arms 217.

As discussed below, tabs of a disk assembly 300 are able to bepositioned in notches 230 and in contact with ribs 229 and depressed androtated behind radial arms 217 into notches 216, and may use edge 262 ofextensions 221 or 227 as a guide and with channels 231 or 237 smallenough such that the tabs of the disk assembly do not bind or hang onaxial extensions 221 or 227. In use, spring 212 exerts a force on piston214 to maintain axial bias of ribs 229 of piston 214 in notches 230 ofalignment bushing, thereby trapping the tabs of the disk assemblybetween the surfaces 243 of notches 216 and the radial arms 217 of thealignment bushing 220.

Advantageously, embodiments such as those described herein may bemanufactured from metal (including alloys) or polymers. In someembodiments, components may be manufactured using CNC techniques. Someembodiments disclosed herein may be formed with CNC techniques on athree axis machine, which may advantageously allow for increasing ordecreasing the scale of a device, and which may advantageously reduceproduction costs.

FIGS. 8-10 depict perspective views of one embodiment of base assembly250, illustrating one mode of operation. In a first biased position,ribs 229 and notches 230 may be aligned (and corresponding notches 216and radial arms 217 may also aligned) such that the force exerted byspring 212 biases piston 214 to a first extended axial position. Inother biased positions, forces exerted on piston 214 may depress spring212 such that a gap G is formed between surface 243 of rib 229 andsurface 233 (i.e., back side) of radial arms 217. For example, a secondbiased position may be defined as a position of piston 214 where the gapG is large enough that the distance between the outboard surfaces ofribs 219 and the inboard surfaces of radial arms 217 is greater than thethickness of corresponding tabs on a disk assembly, thereby allowing thetabs of the disk assembly to be positioned between ribs 229 and radialarms 217. FIG. 9 depicts a partial perspective view of wheel coverassembly 100 in which piston 214 is in a second position such that tabs207 of a disk assembly 300 are inserted through notches 230 (see e.g.,FIG. 6) and able to rotate from a first position aligned with notches230 to a second position aligned with notches 216 (see e.g., FIG. 6).

In a third biased position, spring 212 may exert a force on piston 214such that piston 214 is not considered to be in the second biasedposition but piston 214 may not fully translate to the first biasedposition. FIG. 10 depicts a partial perspective view of one embodimentof wheel assembly 100 in which gap G is smaller than gap G in FIG. 9,illustrating base assembly 250 being in a third biased position. In thiscase, the tabs 207 of disk assembly 300 may be fully seated in notches216 with the piston biasing the tabs 207 against the radial arms 217.

FIGS. 9 and 10 further depict an embodiment of disk assembly 300 inwhich disk 315 includes cutouts 920, insets 910, and rails 930. Insets910, cutouts 920 and rails 930 may be formed or positioned toaccommodate wheel balance weights on a rim, valve stems or otherhardware, to increase air flow behind disk 315, to provide hand holds toassist in removal and installation of disk assembly 300, to provide adesired rigidity to disk assembly 300, and other advantages.

In operation, disk assembly 300 may be positioned in base assembly 250to maintain disk assembly 300 in a desired position. FIGS. 11A-11Fdepict partial and perspective views of one embodiment of aerodynamicwheel cover assembly 100 and a system for mounting aerodynamic diskassembly 300 on hub mounting assembly 200, illustrating one method forinstalling a wheel cover on a wheel assembly.

A first step in the mounting process involves aligning disk assembly 300with base assembly 250. FIGS. 11A and 11B depict views of wheel coverassembly 100, illustrating a step for aligning disk assembly 300 withbase assembly 250. In some embodiments, alignment includes visuallychecking that tabs 207 on inner ring 202 are positioned in notches 230of alignment bushing 220. Alignment may be performed visually, such asensuring tabs 207 cover ribs 229, aligning an arrow or other alignmentmark 244 on disk assembly 300 with an arrow or some other alignment mark245 on base assembly 200, or using a color, material, or other visualinformation. Alignment may also be performed using auditory or tactileinformation or cues, such as by selecting a geometry of the parts. Forexample, contacting tabs 207 on inner ring 202 with radial arms 217 androtating wheel cover assembly 200 until the operator or mechanic hearsor feels a click may indicate tabs 207 of disk assembly 300 are alignedwith ribs 229. In one embodiment, alignment of disk assembly 300 to baseassembly 250 is possible when piston 214 is in a first biased position,for example when radial arms 217 have a thickness such that ribs 229appear recessed, flush, or above relative to radial arms 217.

Once disk assembly 300 is in a desired position relative to notches 230,piston 214 can be depressed to a second biased position at a selecteddepth or depth range in cylinder 209 of base 210. Depressing piston 214may be accomplished by applying pressure to actuator 222, (for exampleusing a thumb or finger) or by applying pressure to tabs 207 in contactwith ribs 229. FIGS. 11C and 11D depict perspective views of oneembodiment of disk assembly 300, illustrating advancement of inner ring202 axially inward such that tabs 207 are positioned behind radial arms217 (such as shown in FIG. 11D), indicating compression of spring 212.

Once piston 214 is depressed a minimum amount, the gap G created betweentab 207 and the bottom surface of radial arms 217 allows tabs 207 to berotated relative to alignment bushing 220 and piston 214. FIGS. 11E and11F depict perspective views of one embodiment of wheel cover assembly100 with disk assembly 300. FIG. 11E depicts disk assembly 300 rotatedat an angle R relative to base assembly 250 but less than angle L. Whentabs 207 are offset from and rotated relative to radial arms 217 someangle R that is less than angle L, tabs 207 contact surfaces 219 of ribs229 to inhibit ribs 229 (and thus piston 214 or spring 212) fromreturning to the first biased position such that piston 214 is in asecond biased position. Rotation may be either clockwise orcounter-clockwise.

Further rotation of disk assembly 300 some angle L relative to baseassembly 250 allows tabs 207 to align with radial arms 217 aligned withnotches 216 in ring 218 of piston 214. Alignment of tabs 207 with radialarms 217 in notches 216 allows ribs 229 to translate in notches 230 toallow piston 214 to move from the second biased position into a thirdbiased position. In some embodiments, piston 214 does not translate tothe first biased position, but still translates to a biased positionthat impedes inner ring 202 of disk assembly 300 from rotating. FIG. 11Fdepicts a perspective view of one embodiment of wheel cover assembly 100in which disk assembly 300 is rotated angle L to align tabs 207 withradial arms 217, thus allowing ribs 229 to align in notches 230.

A partial release of compressive forces on spring 212 allow spring 212to extend to maintain ribs 229 in notches 230. Maintaining ribs 229 innotches 230 provides security to wheel cover assembly 100 in that piston214 is further unable to rotate and disk assembly 300 is securelycoupled with base assembly 250. Using steps such as those depicted inFIGS. 11A-11F, disk assembly 300 with tabs 207 may be engaged with ribs229 on piston 214 such that disk assembly 300 is secured to baseassembly 250, effectively locking disk assembly 300 yet allowing somemotion to accommodate curbs and other objects or users that mightcontact outer ring 180, spoke 185, inserts 215 or other components ofdisk assembly 300.

Removal of disk assembly 300 may be accomplished by performing thesesteps in reverse order such that piston 214 is depressed to the secondbiased position, disk assembly 300 is rotated to align tabs 207 withnotches 230 and piston 214 such that tabs 207 can be withdrawn from baseassembly 250.

In some embodiments, common hardware or machines elements may beutilized, which may reduce overall complexity, reduce manufacturingcosts, or other advantages. FIG. 12A depicts an exploded view of oneembodiment in which common machine elements are used instead ofcustom-made hardware. FIGS. 12B and 12C depict embodiments in anassembled position ready to receive a disk assembly. In someembodiments, spring 1212 and hardware 1208 and 1220 may be common,off-the-shelf parts. In some embodiments, bracket 1213 or hardware 1215may be able to replace portions of base assembly 250. In someembodiments, such as depicted in FIG. 12A, piston 1214 may include asingle rib 1229 and a single notch 1216, alignment bushing 1220 mayinclude a single radial arm 1217 and a single notch 1230, and diskassembly 300 may include tab 1207. Hardware 1240 may be used to coupleportions together or to bracket 1213.

As those skilled in the art will appreciate after reading thisdisclosure, embodiments described herein provide many variations ofelements but a common push and turn functionality, in which one or moretabs on the disk assembly may be captured by the base assembly to securethe disk assembly to the wheel.

In addition to wheel assemblies discussed above (and shown in FIGS. 1Aand 1B), large vehicles may also have wheels mounted on a steer axle.FIG. 13 depicts a view of a single wheel assembly, such as found onsteer axle 70. In this situation, mounting an aerodynamic wheel covermay differ due to the different depth or geometry of steer axle 70.FIGS. 14 and 15 further show hub odometer 1410 and oil level indicator1510 which may be mounted on a wheel assembly and require furtheraccommodation from wheel cover assembly 100.

FIGS. 16A-16D depict views of one embodiment of aerodynamic wheel coverassembly 100 useful for accommodating components mounted to hub 50 orfor mounting to steer axle 70. An inner opening diameter of inner ring202 may be selected to accommodate maintenance or inspection ofcomponents mounted to a hub without removal of the inner ring 202. Aninner opening diameter of inner ring 202 may also attach to componentstypically mounted to the hub 50, such as a hub odometer. An advantage ofmounting a hub odometer or other component to the inner opening diameterof the inner ring may allow embodiments to utilize all of the benefitsdisclosed herein. For example, embodiments may utilize a quick releasemechanism for easier removal or access for inspections and maintenance.

FIG. 16B depicts a side view of one embodiment of wheel cover assembly100 mounted on wheel 6 having a component (e.g., steer axle 70) thatobstructs positioning on a hub. Inner ring 202 may have a diameter sizedto accommodate steer axle 70, hub odometer 1410, oil level indicator1510, etc.

FIGS. 16C and 16D depict an exploded view of one embodiment of baseassembly 250 showing bracket assembly 1210, base 1209, springs 212,piston 1214 and alignment bushing 1220, along with attachment hardware1205. In some embodiments, piston 1214 may not include any centralspokes to accommodate steer axle 70. Instead, piston 1214 may includepartial spoke projections 1232 projecting radially inward some distance,leaving a large enough opening for components to pass. Spokes 1232 maybe aligned with and positioned in channels 1231 to inhibit rotationalmovement of piston 1214. In such embodiments, a plurality of springs1212 or other resilient members may be positioned to contact piston 1214and used to maintain an outward bias on piston 1214 and avoid binding bypiston 1214 in base 1209 or alignment bushing 1220. Operation of baseassembly 250 may be similar to operation of base assembly 250 describedabove, in that tabs 207 on disk assembly 1300 may contact ribs 1229 onpiston 1214, piston 1214 may be depressed from a first biased positionto a second biased position such that tabs 207 may be rotated some angleuntil tabs 207 align with notches 1216 in piston 1214 and are positionedbehind radial arms 1217, and tension on springs 212 may be released toallow piston 1214 to translate into a third biased position, lockingtabs 207 (and thus disk assembly 1300) relative to wheel assembly 6.

An advantage to embodiments described herein may be the ability for theouter portion or edge of a disk assembly to maintain contact with awheel. As depicted in FIGS. 2A-2B, 3A-3B, 16A and 16B, an outer edge orportion of disk assembly 300 or 1300 is maintained in contact with a rimof wheel assembly 6. Maintaining contact at an outer edge may preventundesirable effects associated with vehicle vibration and air streams incontact with disk 300 or 310, such as noise or undue vibration, whichmay lessen any aerodynamic effect or undesirably wear components of thedisk assembly 300. An outer edge or portion of the disk may bereinforced or provided with pads, or otherwise configured to dampenvibration and reduce wear associated with contact with a rim of wheelassembly 6.

Variations of various components may be possible without varying fromthe scope of the disclosure. For example, FIGS. 17A-17C depict views ofalternative embodiments of base 210. FIG. 17A depicts a perspective viewof one embodiment of base 210 having one extension 227 with channel 237formed therein. FIG. 17B depicts a perspective view of one alternativeembodiment of base 210 having a plurality of various shaped extensions227. Having different shaped extensions 227 may ensure that wheel coverassembly 100 is aligned in a particular orientation, enables locking, orsome other advantage. FIG. 17C depicts a perspective view of onealternative embodiment of base 210, with inner wall 272 having sides. Asshown in FIG. 17C, inner wall 272 may have six sides. However, thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that more or fewer sides may bepossible.

In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described withreference to specific embodiments. However, one of ordinary skill in theart appreciates that various modifications and changes can be madewithout departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in theclaims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to beregarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and allsuch modifications are intended to be included within the scope ofinvention.

Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have beendescribed above with regard to specific embodiments. However, thebenefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any component(s) thatmay cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become morepronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essentialfeature or component of any or all the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wheel cover system comprising: a bracketassembly configured to couple to a wheel; a disk assembly comprising aninner portion; a push and turn securing mechanism coupled to the bracketassembly and compatible with the inner portion of the disk assembly,wherein the disk assembly is removably coupled to the wheel by the pushand turn securing mechanism.